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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. current — electric
  5. pit — a hole
  6. current — of water
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. firm — steady
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. firm — decided
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. current — happening now
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wake — before a funeral

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