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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. current — of water
  3. court — of law
  4. bulb — for light
  5. vault — a safe
  6. suit — to fit
  7. current — happening now
  8. chest — a box
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — a line
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. suit — in cards
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. row — to paddle
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. current — electric

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