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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. object — a thing
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — an aim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. current — happening now
  6. staff — employees
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. staff — a stick
  9. current — of water
  10. staff — employees
  11. cold — not warm
  12. current — electric
  13. race — humankind
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. object — to protest
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. race — a contest
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bass — low music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bass — the instrument
  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