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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. file — a line of people
  3. game — a match
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — of water
  6. vault — a safe
  7. game — wild animals
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. file — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. current — happening now
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. file — a document
  17. object — to protest
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. object — a thing
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. object — an aim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — electric

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