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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. current — electric
  4. land — a country
  5. vault — a safe
  6. current — of water
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. net — after costs
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. net — in sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — to come down
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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