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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: chest · jam · hide · fine · vault · pitcher · race · ruler

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. race — humankind
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fine — all right
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fine — high quality
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chest — a box

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