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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · vault · band · stand · coach · season · squash · foot

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — of water
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stand — to bear
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. current — happening now
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. season — in sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. current — electric
  19. band — a music group
  20. squash — to crush
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. foot — a measure
  24. vault — a safe

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