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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wind — moving air
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. craft — a skill
  10. current — of water
  11. craft — boats
  12. charge — a price
  13. bank — for money
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. charge — in control
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bank — of a river
  20. current — electric
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — happening now
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bank — for money

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