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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: fan · jam · staff · vault · band · craft · coach · prune

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. staff — a stick
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. band — a music group
  10. staff — employees
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. band — a ring
  14. prune — to trim
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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