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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 124 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tube — a container
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — happening now
  8. capital — a city
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a tool
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. capital — money
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. vault — a safe

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