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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chip — to eat
  3. degree — an amount
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. current — electric
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. degree — from a university
  12. current — happening now
  13. lean — thin
  14. hand — help
  15. spell — letters
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. current — of water
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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