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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 124 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. board — to get on
  5. spring — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. current — electric
  8. present — the time now
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — a gift
  11. current — of water
  12. field — farmland
  13. spring — the season
  14. current — happening now
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — a subject
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. field — for sport
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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