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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. current — of water
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. game — a match
  13. current — electric
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. dip — to sink
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitch — completely
  22. game — wild animals
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. current — happening now

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