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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 120 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
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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: cue · spring · pitcher · vault · fine · club · current · degree

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. fine — all right
  4. club — a group
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. club — for golf
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. spring — a coil
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — for pool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pitcher — a jug

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