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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · vault · foot · fine · branch · mark · race · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. net — after costs
  2. fine — all right
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. race — a contest
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mark — a trace
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. race — humankind
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — a division
  18. foot — a measure
  19. vault — a safe
  20. race — the arms race
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. branch — of a bank
  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