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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. pop — soda
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ground — crushed
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pop — to visit
  6. current — of water
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. current — electric
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pop — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pit — a hole
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cell — a phone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. current — happening now
  22. ground — a position
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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