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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 116 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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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: net · vault · mug · bore · chip · pit · pound · kid

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mug — to rob
  3. kid — to tease
  4. net — after costs
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mug — a face
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. kid — child

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