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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · vault · stem · mine · can · net · perch · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — for digging
  3. can — to be able to
  4. march — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. march — the month
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. ground — a position
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stem — to come from
  19. net — for catching
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. net — after costs
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com