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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. current — electric
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cold — an illness
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. club — a group
  19. net — after costs
  20. current — happening now
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. club — for golf
  24. bay — a horse colour

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