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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 · season · swing · date · wake · vault · mark · root

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mark — a trace
  4. root — of a plant
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. swing — music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — of the year
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mark — a grade
  17. root — the cause
  18. date — the fruit
  19. swing — to play on
  20. root — of a word
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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