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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spring — the season
  7. content — happy
  8. race — the arms race
  9. current — electric
  10. race — humankind
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. current — happening now
  16. spring — of water
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — of water
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. race — a contest
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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