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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — happening now
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — of law
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — electric
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. drill — army training
  15. ground — the earth
  16. court — for sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. current — of water
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. court — of a king

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