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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — electric
  8. net — after costs
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — a box
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — to come from
  24. chest — of your body

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