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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: date · bass · craft · rash · vault · swing · current · spell

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. spell — letters
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — a skill
  10. swing — music
  11. current — of water
  12. swing — to play on
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. date — the fruit
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. swing — in golf
  22. spell — magic
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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