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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. current — of water
  3. tube — a container
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. race — a contest
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. current — electric
  11. row — a line
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. race — humankind
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — the arms race
  20. tube — the underground
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — to paddle

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