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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. current — of water
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ground — a position
  5. file — a document
  6. current — happening now
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — a series
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. current — electric
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. file — a tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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