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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: vault · rash · foot · squash · tube · race · game · current

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. rash — a series
  2. current — of water
  3. race — humankind
  4. current — electric
  5. rash — hasty
  6. squash — to crush
  7. game — a match
  8. current — happening now
  9. squash — the sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. vault — a safe
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. foot — a measure
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  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