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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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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: rash · pass · vault · club · race · mine · present · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. rash — a series
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. race — a contest
  8. pass — a permit
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. race — humankind
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. club — for dancing
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. club — a group
  16. present — a gift
  17. club — for golf
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mine — for digging
  20. present — there
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. present — the time now
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rash — hasty

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