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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. club — for golf
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — electric
  10. chair — a leader
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. club — a group
  13. current — happening now
  14. wake — a trail
  15. current — of water
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. fan — a supporter

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