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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: game · plane · squash · net · fine · chair · jam · vault

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. game — a match
  11. plane — a tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. squash — the sport
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. chair — a leader
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chair — a professorship

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