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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. content — the amount
  2. vault — a safe
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. current — electric
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. content — happy
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chair — a leader
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. land — to come down
  14. current — happening now
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. fine — all right
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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