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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.

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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: ground · race · rule · vault · current · swing · plane · ball

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. swing — music
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — a law
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rule — government
  7. ball — a dance
  8. race — humankind
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ground — the earth
  12. race — a contest
  13. ball — a great time
  14. current — happening now
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. race — the arms race
  23. vault — a safe
  24. plane — a tool

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