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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. current — of water
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. craft — a skill
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — a gift
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. present — there
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. vault — a safe
  13. track — to keep track
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. track — a path
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. current — electric
  18. pass — a permit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. craft — boats
  21. row — a line
  22. present — the time now
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. row — a quarrel

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