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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — of water
  5. track — to keep track
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fine — all right
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — clothes
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cell — a phone
  15. track — a path
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cold — not warm
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a song
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. current — happening now

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