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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. vault — a safe
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wound — an injury
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. current — electric
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hand — help
  23. current — of water
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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