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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: craft · vault · fork · ball · rush · saw · content · current

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. current — of water
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. current — happening now
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. craft — boats
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fork — in a road
  22. current — electric
  23. content — happy
  24. ball — a round shape

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