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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — for betting
  6. shower — rain
  7. ground — the earth
  8. content — the amount
  9. current — electric
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. staff — a stick
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. current — of water
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — thin
  17. staff — employees
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. content — happy
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. shower — to wash
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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