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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. swing — music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. present — there
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. current — happening now
  13. vault — a safe
  14. present — the time now
  15. kid — child
  16. present — a gift
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. swing — in golf
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. current — of water
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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