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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 · ball · mine · spring · shower · firm · bowl · vault

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ball — a great time
  5. spring — a coil
  6. shower — to wash
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. firm — a company
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spring — of water
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. shower — rain
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mine — for digging
  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