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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 · swing · court · pitch · bank · vault · object · straw

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. object — to protest
  4. court — for sport
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. swing — music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. object — an aim
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. court — of a king
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — in golf
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. object — a thing
  21. pitch — completely
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bank — for money

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