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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wake — a trail
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. current — happening now
  7. court — for sport
  8. kid — child
  9. vault — a safe
  10. scale — size or range
  11. season — of the year
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. court — of a king
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. current — of water
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kid — to tease
  19. season — in sport
  20. court — of law
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. scale — in music
  24. season — to add flavour

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