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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — electric
  6. bat — the animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. current — of water
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. current — happening now
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — a song
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. track — a path
  21. ground — a position
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ground — crushed
  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