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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: rash · rock · vault · current · fan · bass · firm · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. firm — decided
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — happening now
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — a series
  11. rock — music
  12. current — electric
  13. court — of law
  14. firm — a company
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — hasty
  20. firm — steady
  21. current — of water
  22. court — for sport
  23. bass — low music
  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