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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: press · vault · wound · racket · net · calf · last · bowl

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — newspapers
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. net — for catching
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. press — a publisher
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — to push
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. last — final
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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