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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. vault — a safe
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. scale — in music
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. branch — a division
  24. ruler — for measuring

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