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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stock — shares
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. current — of water
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stock — goods
  16. current — electric
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. pound — for dogs

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