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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.

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: mate · pitch · jam · staff · file · vault · temple · stock

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mate — a friend
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. file — a document
  12. stock — goods
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — shares
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. vault — a safe
  22. staff — employees
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. file — a line of people

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