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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: court · bulb · net · sharp · nail · vault · press · fine

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. net — in sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — for catching
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. court — of law
  18. press — to push
  19. sharp — clever
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. press — a publisher
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. net — after costs
  24. fine — all right

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