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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 · net · fall · craft · pitcher · present · clip · current

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. current — happening now
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fall — to drop
  7. current — electric
  8. net — for catching
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — in sport
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fall — to drop
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. current — of water
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. clip — for paper
  21. craft — a skill
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. clip — a video

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