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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. present — the time now
  4. current — of water
  5. band — a music group
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. track — a song
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. current — happening now
  11. game — a match
  12. vault — a safe
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. drill — the tool
  15. present — there
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. drill — a practice
  20. roll — a list
  21. drill — army training
  22. roll — a cake
  23. band — a ring
  24. track — to keep track

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