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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. field — farmland
  4. current — of water
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. current — electric
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chip — for betting
  17. row — a line
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. current — happening now
  24. chip — in a computer

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