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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: file · vault · rule · net · bass · patient · deal · firm

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — steady
  5. file — a tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. firm — decided
  9. file — a document
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — the fish
  17. firm — a company
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — government
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rule — a law
  24. net — after costs

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