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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — a grade
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. dip — to sink
  5. drill — army training
  6. land — to come down
  7. fine — all right
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. net — for catching
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. land — ground
  14. vault — a safe
  15. current — happening now
  16. land — a country
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mark — a trace
  21. current — of water
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. net — after costs

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