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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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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: stick · march · net · mouse · bowl · vault · bank · ground

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. march — music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — the month
  7. net — after costs
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bank — for money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ground — a position
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. net — in sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ground — the earth
  23. net — for catching
  24. bowl — a dish

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