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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: charge · jam · cue · vault · fan · last · pitcher · lie

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. last — to go on
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. last — final
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. last — finally
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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