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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. drill — army training
  4. spring — of water
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. firm — a company
  8. drill — the tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. firm — decided
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. drill — a practice
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. firm — steady
  22. vault — a safe
  23. current — electric
  24. spring — the season

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