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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · plane · pitcher · key · vault · jam · mark · roll

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mark — a trace
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. roll — a list
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. chest — a box
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — a safe
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. jam — in traffic

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