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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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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: ruler · jam · vault · bear · chest · bay · net · pop

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. chest — a box
  8. net — for catching
  9. pop — soda
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. net — after costs
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. net — in sport
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pop — music
  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