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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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Word bank
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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: vault · craft · pound · current · wind · charge

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. craft — a skill
  3. vault — a safe
  4. current — of water
  5. craft — boats
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. current — electric
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. charge — electricity
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pound — a weight
  15. charge — in control
  16. wind — moving air
  17. charge — a price
  18. current — happening now

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