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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: rule · trunk · land · jam · pitch · club · vault · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. club — for golf
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rule — government
  6. date — the fruit
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. land — a country
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rule — a law
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitch — completely
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. vault — a safe

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