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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.

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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 · pop · bay · mouse · vault · bat · trunk · net

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. vault — a safe
  5. sharp — clever
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pop — soda
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. net — in sport
  15. pop — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. net — after costs
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mouse — the animal

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