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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — a trail
  3. track — a path
  4. object — to protest
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. object — a thing
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. roll — a list
  14. object — an aim
  15. bat — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. roll — a cake
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. track — a song
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. current — of water
  22. track — to keep track
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bat — in an idiom

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