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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. current — of water
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mine — for digging
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — music
  13. file — a line of people
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. file — a document
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. file — a tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chip — to eat

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