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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 116 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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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: fork · rock · hide · club · chip · vault · snap · current

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. snap — to click
  4. club — for dancing
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. vault — a safe
  8. club — a group
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chip — for betting
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rock — music
  16. current — of water
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. club — for golf
  23. current — electric
  24. chip — in a computer

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