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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: vault · game · cabinet · pop · net · suit · coach · wind

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. net — for catching
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pop — soda
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pop — to visit
  10. net — after costs
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. game — a match
  19. net — in sport
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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