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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 · bass · swing · pitcher · vault · track · current · straw

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. current — of water
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. current — electric
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — to keep track
  9. swing — in golf
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. track — a path
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cap — of ice
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — a song
  18. swing — music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cap — a lid

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