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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. current — happening now
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — shares
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — a safe
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spring — of water
  19. current — of water
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. perch — the fish

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