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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: perch · vault · rule · drill · cabinet · spell · net · mate

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — after costs
  3. mate — a friend
  4. net — for catching
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. vault — a safe
  10. spell — letters
  11. rule — a law
  12. drill — army training
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — in sport
  16. rule — government
  17. drill — a practice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mate — to breed

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