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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pound — a weight
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. current — happening now
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. band — a music group
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. bass — the fish
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. row — a line
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — low music
  22. current — electric
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. band — a rubber band

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