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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: jam · pitcher · stick · vault · court · toast · mug · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — a face
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. court — of a king
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mug — a cup
  21. court — of law
  22. mug — to rob
  23. toast — bread
  24. date — on the calendar

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