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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: field · roll · nail · mark · vault · wound · current · fan

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. current — of water
  3. roll — a cake
  4. field — farmland
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. current — happening now
  12. wound — an injury
  13. field — a subject
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — electric
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. roll — a list
  24. field — for sport

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