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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — to keep track
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. perch — the fish
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bass — the fish
  7. current — electric
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. swing — music
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a path
  18. bass — low music
  19. kid — child
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. swing — in golf
  22. track — a song
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fan — a supporter

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