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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 · spring · stick · ground · board · rock · current · nail

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — electric
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spring — the season
  10. ground — the earth
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ground — a position
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — a committee
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — of water
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. board — to get on

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