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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: game · can · scale · net · leaves · wind · vault · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. game — a match
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — for catching
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — bread
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — in sport
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. vault — a safe
  19. can — to be able to
  20. scale — size or range
  21. net — after costs
  22. game — wild animals
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. game — a kind of play

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