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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: mine · suit · spring · pit · track · net · vault · cell

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cell — in biology
  3. net — after costs
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. suit — to fit
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. net — for catching
  13. spring — of water
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cell — a phone
  21. spring — a coil
  22. track — a song
  23. net — in sport
  24. spring — the season

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