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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 120 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
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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: bowl · nail · net · coach · chip · perch · sharp · vault

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — after costs
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — for catching
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. net — in sport
  17. chip — for betting
  18. perch — the fish
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bowl — to roll

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