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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. staff — employees
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. current — of water
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. current — electric
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — to handle
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. staff — a stick
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  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