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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: jam · degree · vault · mouse · fall · swing · pit · cabinet

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. swing — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fall — the season
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. vault — a safe
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. fall — to drop
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — in a race

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