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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. current — of water
  7. file — a document
  8. current — happening now
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rest — what's left
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fork — in a road
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rest — what's left
  19. suit — in cards
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rest — a break
  22. current — electric
  23. file — a tool
  24. suit — clothes

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