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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: patient · pop · file · stock · vault · scale · jam · plane

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pop — soda
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pop — music
  13. file — a document
  14. stock — goods
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. scale — size or range
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. scale — in music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. plane — a 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