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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: rash · bowl · ground · lean · vault · saw · net · bass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bass — low music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lean — to bend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. net — for catching
  13. bass — the fish
  14. net — in sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. net — after costs
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rash — a series

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