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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: wind · jam · pop · vault · current · firm · mine · kid

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. firm — decided
  6. wind — moving air
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. firm — a company
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pop — music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pop — to visit
  15. current — electric
  16. vault — a safe
  17. kid — to tease
  18. firm — steady
  19. pop — soda
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. current — happening now
  23. kid — child
  24. current — of water

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