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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: net · cue · tear · date · firm · current · ruler · vault

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. net — after costs
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — in sport
  6. date — the fruit
  7. firm — steady
  8. net — for catching
  9. cue — a signal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — happening now
  13. firm — decided
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. current — of water
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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