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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. scale — size or range
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. current — electric
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. scale — in music

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