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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fine — all right
  9. suit — in cards
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fine — high quality
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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