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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. dip — to sink
  4. current — electric
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hand — help
  16. mine — for digging
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. current — happening now
  20. mug — a face
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — of water
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. vault — a safe

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