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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rock — music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. current — of water
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stem — to come from
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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