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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. row — to paddle
  3. scale — in music
  4. cold — not warm
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — a lid
  8. current — electric
  9. scale — size or range
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. row — a line
  16. cold — an illness
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cap — a hat
  19. current — of water
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cap — of ice
  22. current — happening now
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — to spend time

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