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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
468
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: cabinet · chip · bass · racket · net · plane · vault · rash

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — low music
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. net — for catching
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rash — hasty
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. net — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rash — a series
  24. chip — in a computer

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