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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. field — a subject
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. vault — a safe
  8. current — of water
  9. field — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. club — a group
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. field — farmland
  20. wake — a trail
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. nail — on a finger

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