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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: perch · shower · jam · chair · stock · band · vault · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chair — a leader
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. band — a ring
  14. stock — shares
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — rain
  17. band — a music group
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. shower — to wash
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. perch — for a bird

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