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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. current — electric
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spring — the season
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spring — of water
  15. rash — a series
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. current — happening now
  19. rash — hasty
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — in music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rash — on the skin

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