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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: fine · mouse · mark · vault · file · jam · bay · mine

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. file — a tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. file — a document
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mouse — the animal

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