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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: current · stock · shower · fan · present · pitcher · court · vault

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. present — the time now
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — of water
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stock — goods
  9. court — of a king
  10. shower — rain
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. current — electric
  17. shower — to wash
  18. court — for sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. stock — shares
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stock — a soup base

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