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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · bear · net · file · mouse · hand · vault · bound

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. net — in sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bound — tied together
  12. net — after costs
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. file — a document
  16. net — for catching
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. hand — in cards
  20. file — a tool
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bound — obliged

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