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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 · vault · fan · bass · cabinet · race · net · deal

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — for catching
  5. mine — for digging
  6. vault — a safe
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. race — humankind
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — the fish
  16. race — a contest
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. net — after costs
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bass — low music

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