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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: game · craft · vault · current · present · squash · drill · ball

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — happening now
  3. ball — a great time
  4. craft — a skill
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. squash — the sport
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. drill — army training
  15. ball — a dance
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. drill — the tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. vault — a safe
  21. drill — a practice
  22. present — there
  23. craft — boats
  24. squash — the vegetable

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