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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: wound · pitcher · foot · spring · vault · jam · scale · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — the season
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wound — an injury
  17. vault — a safe
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — in music

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