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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lean — thin
  3. current — of water
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. root — the cause
  14. pop — music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. vault — a safe
  17. current — electric
  18. cap — of ice
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. root — of a plant
  22. current — happening now
  23. root — of a word
  24. chair — a leader

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