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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fine — all right
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mark — a grade
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rush — hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. current — happening now
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cell — in biology
  20. current — electric
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ground — a position
  24. current — of water

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