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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: deal · racket · bay · vault · net · wound · bore · bulb

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. net — after costs
  5. vault — a safe
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bore — to tire
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — for catching
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. net — in sport
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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