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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: current · charge · row · cap · plane · pop · stick · vault

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pop — to visit
  7. current — happening now
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. row — to paddle
  11. charge — electricity
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. charge — a price
  14. vault — a safe
  15. current — of water
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — in control
  19. pop — music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. row — a line
  22. current — electric
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. row — a quarrel

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