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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to drill
  4. capital — a city
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chest — a box
  7. perch — the fish
  8. current — happening now
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bore — to tire
  12. board — a committee
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. board — to get on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. capital — money
  24. current — of water

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