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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: vault · foot · tube · bass · straw · mouse · pop · current

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tube — a container
  6. bass — low music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — the fish
  24. current — happening now

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