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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: bowl · stand · ground · saw · current · march · vault · bank

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. current — happening now
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bank — for money
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bank — of a river
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. current — of water
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. current — electric
  24. bowl — to roll

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