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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. current — electric
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — an aim
  5. bat — the animal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rock — music
  9. object — a thing
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — for catching
  17. object — to protest
  18. fork — in a road
  19. net — after costs
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cabinet — ministers

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