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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 · suit · rush · vault · content · ground · tube · field

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. ground — a position
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ground — crushed
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rush — hurry
  9. suit — to fit
  10. field — a subject
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. current — electric
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. content — the amount

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