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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. cap — a lid
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. drill — the tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. current — of water
  19. vault — a safe
  20. key — for a lock
  21. current — electric
  22. swing — in golf
  23. key — the most important part
  24. swing — music

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