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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
468
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: shower · current · club · craft · stick · vault · fan · rock

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. shower — rain
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rock — a stone
  10. craft — boats
  11. club — for golf
  12. current — happening now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. club — for dancing
  21. vault — a safe
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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