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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wound — an injury
  4. roll — a list
  5. net — in sport
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mark — a grade
  9. current — of water
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bound — tied together
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. current — happening now
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wound — an injury
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. current — electric
  22. net — after costs
  23. bound — certain
  24. net — for catching

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