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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bank — for money
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. root — the cause
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mine — for digging
  8. root — of a word
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. game — a match
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — wild animals
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. vault — a safe
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. root — of a plant

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