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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 120 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: current · swing · vault · hand · stock · fork · plane · bay

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. current — electric
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stock — shares
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stock — goods
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — help
  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