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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. vault — a safe
  3. branch — a division
  4. current — electric
  5. field — farmland
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. current — happening now
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. field — for sport
  12. kid — to tease
  13. chip — to eat
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. kid — child
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. field — a subject
  21. current — of water
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. branch — of a tree

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