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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: game · net · racket · vault · mine · land · pound · pass

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. land — a country
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. net — for catching
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. land — ground
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. game — wild animals
  11. land — to come down
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. game — a match
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — a permit
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mine — for digging
  24. vault — a safe

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