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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: mark · spring · sharp · pop · vault · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. current — happening now
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pop — to visit
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pop — music
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. current — electric
  14. pop — soda
  15. mark — a grade
  16. sharp — clever
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a trace

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