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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — thin
  4. field — for sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lean — to bend
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. field — farmland
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. current — of water
  19. game — wild animals
  20. current — electric
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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