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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: club · key · vault · branch · ground · pitcher · jam · wax

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. vault — a safe
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. key — for a lock
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. key — in music
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. branch — a division
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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