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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. capital — money
  5. pitch — completely
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. current — happening now
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mate — a friend
  11. current — electric
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cell — in biology
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. current — of water
  23. present — there
  24. capital — a city

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