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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. kid — child
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cue — a hint
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bulb — for light
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — to come from
  22. current — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — a signal

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