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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: suit · present · kid · current · squash · vault · row · spring

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. suit — clothes
  4. row — a line
  5. kid — to tease
  6. current — electric
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. row — to paddle
  13. spring — of water
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — child
  16. suit — in cards
  17. present — a gift
  18. spring — the season
  19. vault — a safe
  20. present — there
  21. current — happening now
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. present — the time now
  24. current — of water

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