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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: chest · bat · vault · calf · jam · stock · bank · suit

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chest — of your body
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stock — goods
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stock — shares

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