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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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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: rock · object · dip · net · vault · pop · cabinet · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — to sink
  5. net — for catching
  6. rock — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. net — after costs
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rock — a stone
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — a safe
  14. object — an aim
  15. net — in sport
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. object — a thing
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — soda

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