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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: can · land · mark · file · net · scale · kick · vault

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. land — a country
  2. net — after costs
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kick — in football
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. can — to be able to
  8. land — ground
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. can — a tin
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. scale — in music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. file — a line of people
  22. land — to come down
  23. net — for catching
  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