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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · current · race · rule · object · vault

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. object — an aim
  3. current — of water
  4. object — a thing
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. perch — the fish
  8. current — happening now
  9. rule — a law
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. object — to protest
  12. current — electric
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rule — government
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. race — a contest

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