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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: pop · ball · wound · racket · vault · jam · bank · rush

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bank — of a river
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — music
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pop — soda
  24. racket — for tennis

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