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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 116 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: net · vault · cold · last · club · fine · nail · stock

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. club — a group
  3. vault — a safe
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fine — all right
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. net — after costs
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. club — for golf
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. last — finally
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. last — final
  22. net — in sport
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. last — to go on

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