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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 120 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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. firm — decided
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cold — not warm
  9. season — of the year
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. current — happening now
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bark — to shout
  24. vault — a safe

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