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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
468
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: plane · pitcher · bank · game · spring · vault · fine · trunk

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — a safe
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — a match
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bank — for money
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fine — all right
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bank — of a river
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — of water
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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