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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — of water
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. vault — a safe
  14. current — electric
  15. mark — a trace
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. march — music
  18. current — happening now
  19. branch — a division
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wax — to grow
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — a supporter

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