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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ground — the earth
  5. vault — a safe
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. current — happening now
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. current — electric
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ground — a position
  24. straw — a straw man

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