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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: shower · file · vault · cap · net · game · firm · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — after costs
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — a hat
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. firm — steady
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cap — a lid
  15. firm — decided
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. game — a match
  18. vault — a safe
  19. net — for catching
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cap — of ice
  22. file — a line of people
  23. firm — a company
  24. net — in sport

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