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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. root — of a word
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. current — of water
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. root — the cause
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. key — in music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. key — the most important part
  22. current — electric
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wind — moving air

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