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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — to confront
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. current — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stock — shares
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ground — the earth
  15. craft — boats
  16. stock — goods
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. current — electric
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. vault — a safe
  23. face — part of the head
  24. craft — a handicraft

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