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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: ground · pop · vault · wake · current · cold · pound · charge

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pop — soda
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — happening now
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ground — crushed
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pop — music
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pound — a weight

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