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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pass · content · vault · roll · wake · swing · saw · current

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. current — happening now
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. current — of water
  6. swing — to play on
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. content — happy
  13. swing — music
  14. content — the amount
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wake — a trail
  19. vault — a safe
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — electric
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pass — a permit

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