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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rash — hasty
  5. row — a line
  6. current — electric
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rash — a series
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cue — a hint
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. current — of water
  15. row — to paddle
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cue — a signal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. craft — a skill
  20. current — happening now
  21. game — a match
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. cue — for pool

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