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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — happening now
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. game — a match
  9. key — the most important part
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. firm — decided
  13. key — for a lock
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — steady
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spell — letters
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — of water
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. arm — part of the body

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