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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: charge · net · club · tear · vault · stem · trunk · ball

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. charge — in control
  5. club — for golf
  6. ball — a dance
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ball — a great time
  12. charge — a price
  13. club — a group
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. net — for catching
  19. club — for dancing
  20. charge — electricity
  21. tear — to rip
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. trunk — of a car

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