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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.

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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: season · deal · band · arm · fork · trunk · net · vault

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. net — for catching
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. season — in sport
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fork — in a road
  21. season — of the year
  22. net — in sport
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fork — to eat with

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