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

Word bank: chair · rule · current · vault · bear · kid

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rule — a law
  7. current — of water
  8. rule — government
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. current — electric
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — child
  18. vault — a safe

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