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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. capital — money
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a music group
  5. charge — a price
  6. plane — a tool
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. march — the month
  11. current — of water
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. band — a ring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. vault — a safe
  23. capital — a city
  24. march — music

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