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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: suit · roll · cap · scale · chair · jam · vault · row

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. scale — in music
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. suit — to fit
  8. roll — a cake
  9. scale — size or range
  10. suit — in cards
  11. vault — a safe
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. suit — clothes
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. row — to paddle
  17. chair — a leader
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cap — of ice

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