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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. net — for catching
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — a law
  9. net — in sport
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — a path
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — a safe
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — a song
  20. plane — a tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rule — government
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rule — to rule out

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