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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. current — happening now
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. current — of water
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kid — child
  10. mark — a grade
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. current — electric
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fine — high quality
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mark — a trace
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. branch — a division

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