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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wake — a trail
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mate — to breed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — a friend
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. vault — a safe

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