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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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. current — electric
  4. chair — a leader
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — happening now
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. current — of water
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chair — a professorship

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