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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: vault · wake · current · roll · swing · nail · jam · bass

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bass — low music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bass — the fish
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. swing — music
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — of water
  13. roll — a list
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. current — electric
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wake — a trail
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. roll — a cake
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. vault — a safe

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