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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: jam · land · vault · date · mouse · pitcher · bore · net

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — after costs
  8. bore — to drill
  9. land — to come down
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. land — ground
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. land — a country
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. vault — a safe
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bore — to tire
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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