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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: trunk · bulb · jam · stem · mouse · vault · fine · mark

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — to come from
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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