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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. kid — to tease
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stand — to bear
  9. key — the most important part
  10. game — a match
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ground — a position
  17. key — in music
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. key — for a lock
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kid — child
  23. game — a kind of play
  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