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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pop — soda
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pop — to visit
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chip — to eat
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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