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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mate — a friend
  4. date — the fruit
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bound — tied together
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. bound — certain
  10. vault — a safe
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. current — of water
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mate — a partner
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wound — an injury
  22. game — a match
  23. mate — to breed
  24. game — wild animals

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