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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 · drill · stick · bank · chair · plane · spring · cue

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — army training
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chair — a leader
  9. spring — of water
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. plane — a tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cue — for pool
  24. drill — the tool

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