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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. last — final
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. can — to be able to
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. march — the month
  10. current — electric
  11. pop — to visit
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — to go on
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pop — music
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. last — finally
  20. pop — soda
  21. kick — in football
  22. vault — a safe
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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