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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: cap · vault · current · band · rock · plane · wound · pitch

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cap — a lid
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. current — happening now
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rock — music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. current — electric
  18. band — a ring
  19. current — of water
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. plane — in geometry

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