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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: current · racket · kick · cell · stick · vault

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. current — electric
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. kick — in football
  9. current — of water
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — a safe
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  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