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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: key · net · bound · land · vault · game · clip · pitch

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. vault — a safe
  3. game — a match
  4. key — in music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. land — to come down
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bound — certain
  9. clip — a video
  10. net — after costs
  11. land — a country
  12. clip — for paper
  13. net — in sport
  14. clip — to cut
  15. key — the most important part
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitch — completely
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. land — ground
  22. bound — tied together
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. key — for a lock

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