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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 124 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. club — for golf
  3. current — of water
  4. craft — a skill
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. club — for dancing
  7. vault — a safe
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. date — the fruit
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ball — a dance
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — happening now
  16. club — a group
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitch — completely
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ball — a round shape

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