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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pound — a weight
  4. current — electric
  5. staff — a stick
  6. current — of water
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cold — not warm
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. staff — employees
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. current — happening now
  19. vault — a safe
  20. squash — to crush
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. staff — employees
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pound — for dogs

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