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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. current — of water
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. march — music
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. tube — a container
  15. branch — a division
  16. march — the month
  17. spring — a coil
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. march — the month
  22. spring — the season
  23. tube — the underground
  24. vault — a safe

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