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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
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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: staff · pitcher · clip · vault · mug · current · pop · march

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — a cup
  4. staff — employees
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — happening now
  9. staff — a stick
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pop — music
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. march — the month
  16. mug — a face
  17. pop — soda
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. pop — to visit
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — electric
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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