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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: mug · chest · net · cue · sharp · ball · bulb · vault

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — for catching
  7. vault — a safe
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — a face
  17. chest — a box
  18. cue — a signal
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — a cup
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bulb — of a plant

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