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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. present — there
  2. perch — the fish
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. file — a tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. present — the time now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. root — the cause
  11. present — a gift
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. staff — employees
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — of a plant
  18. file — a line of people
  19. current — electric
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pound — a weight
  22. root — of a word
  23. file — a document
  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