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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bulb — for light
  5. board — a committee
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — the underground
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. current — of water
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — money
  18. stem — to come from
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — to get on
  22. current — electric
  23. tube — a container
  24. current — happening now

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