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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 124 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 · bass · snap · vault · racket · lie · bear · court

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — for sport
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. net — in sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — of law
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. net — for catching
  14. vault — a safe
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — to recline
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — of a king
  24. racket — for tennis

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