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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. current — happening now
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rock — music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. track — to keep track
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hand — in cards
  19. staff — a stick
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. current — electric

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