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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. scale — in music
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. craft — a skill
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pop — soda
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. current — of water
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. scale — size or range
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pop — music
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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