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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pit — a hole
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — in music
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. current — of water
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — to trim
  15. band — a ring
  16. pit — in a race
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. scale — size or range
  24. band — a music group

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