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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 · vault · current · game · wind · root · firm · file

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. firm — a company
  5. game — wild animals
  6. current — of water
  7. file — a tool
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wind — moving air
  12. root — the cause
  13. file — a line of people
  14. firm — steady
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — of a plant
  17. vault — a safe
  18. current — happening now
  19. game — a match
  20. root — of a word
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. file — a document
  23. firm — decided
  24. current — electric

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