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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pop — soda
  4. current — of water
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pop — music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. current — electric
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cue — a hint
  22. current — happening now
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cap — a hat

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