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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. current — electric
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. file — a document
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. current — of water
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. shower — rain
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. shower — to wash
  18. file — a line of people
  19. current — happening now
  20. file — a tool
  21. march — the month
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bound — certain
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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