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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. file — a line of people
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rock — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. file — a tool
  9. land — a country
  10. clip — a video
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rock — a stone
  14. land — to come down
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a document
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — ground
  24. clip — to cut

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