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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: sharp · ground · bulb · straw · club · net · vault · cabinet

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — a group
  8. net — after costs
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ground — the earth
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. club — for dancing
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — a position
  22. club — for golf
  23. net — in sport
  24. straw — a straw man

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