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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.

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: perch · vault · game · ball · row · rock · net · chest

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ball — a great time
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chest — of your body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. row — a line
  15. net — in sport
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rock — music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. net — for catching
  23. ball — a dance
  24. perch — for a bird

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