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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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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: key · current · cold · vault · trunk · chip · bulb · race

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. race — humankind
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chip — for betting
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. current — happening now
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cold — an illness
  17. current — of water
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. key — in music
  20. cold — not warm
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — electric
  24. key — for a lock

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