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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — happening now
  8. roll — a list
  9. sharp — clever
  10. field — for sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. field — a subject
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — of water
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. roll — a cake
  24. prune — the fruit

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