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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: vault · racket · clip · fan · net · mate · file · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. file — a document
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. file — a tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mate — a friend
  13. clip — a video
  14. net — after costs
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. vault — a safe
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. craft — a skill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — to breed

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