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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: race · current · kid · bear · rock · vault · stick · key

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. kid — child
  7. race — a contest
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. current — electric
  12. rock — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rock — a stone
  16. race — humankind
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bear — the animal

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