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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: wind · court · fan · current · chip · scale · vault · calf

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. scale — size or range
  5. current — electric
  6. chip — for betting
  7. scale — in music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. court — of a king
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. current — of water
  19. chip — to eat
  20. court — for sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. court — of law
  23. wind — moving air
  24. current — happening now

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