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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: bay · bass · current · face · net · vault · kick · cue

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bass — low music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. cue — for pool
  8. face — to confront
  9. net — after costs
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. face — part of the head
  15. current — happening now
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. face — to point toward
  18. vault — a safe
  19. current — of water
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — in football
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bass — the fish

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