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

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. current — electric
  3. pitch — completely
  4. can — a tin
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — a break
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — to be able to
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — the underground
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rest — what's left
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tube — a container

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