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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. band — a ring
  3. current — happening now
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chest — a box
  6. swing — in golf
  7. vault — a safe
  8. net — in sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. net — after costs
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. band — a music group
  13. net — for catching
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. ball — a dance
  18. chest — of your body
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. swing — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. swing — to play on
  24. current — of water

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