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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — government
  6. rock — a stone
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — music
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fall — the season
  16. craft — boats
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rule — a law
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mouse — the animal

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