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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.

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: charge · vault · bowl · spring · ground · current · calf · kid

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — of water
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. current — happening now
  11. charge — in control
  12. kid — child
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ground — crushed
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. bowl — a football final

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