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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · foot · bass · court · pit · vault · net · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. spring — a coil
  5. court — for sport
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spring — the season
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pit — in a race
  10. net — for catching
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. foot — a measure
  14. court — of a king
  15. bass — the fish
  16. net — after costs
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spring — of water
  20. court — of law
  21. net — in sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — a hole

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