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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spring — of water
  3. chip — to eat
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bulb — for light
  17. current — happening now
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. current — electric
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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