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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. current — happening now
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ball — a great time
  7. current — of water
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bound — obliged
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. shower — rain
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. current — electric
  17. ball — a dance
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. board — to get on
  23. bound — tied together
  24. plane — in geometry

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