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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. current — of water
  3. ground — a position
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ground — crushed
  6. tube — a container
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ground — the earth
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rock — music
  12. current — electric
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. kid — child
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. kid — to tease
  23. current — happening now
  24. mine — for digging

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