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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 116 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: ruler · vault · nail · present · current · club · bass · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. present — a gift
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. club — for dancing
  5. current — electric
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. present — the time now
  15. club — a group
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. vault — a safe
  19. present — there
  20. current — happening now
  21. club — for golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — of water
  24. nail — for a hammer

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