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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — to visit
  5. vault — a safe
  6. current — of water
  7. pop — music
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. field — a subject
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. field — farmland
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — for sport
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pop — soda
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — a sick person

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