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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mine — for digging
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. drill — the tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — a price
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — in control
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ground — a position
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ground — the earth

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