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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mug — a cup
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cue — for pool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. plane — a tool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mug — to rob
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. current — happening now
  11. spring — of water
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mug — a face
  16. race — humankind
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spring — a coil
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. spring — the season
  22. current — of water
  23. game — a match
  24. race — a contest

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