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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — of water
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. vault — a safe
  7. field — a subject
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. field — for sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — tied together
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fall — the season
  18. bound — obliged
  19. field — farmland
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bound — certain

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