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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: temple · jam · vault · field · swing · bank · band · hand

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. field — farmland
  3. swing — to play on
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a music group
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. band — a ring
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bank — for money
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hand — in cards
  17. swing — in golf
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. field — a subject
  21. bank — of a river
  22. field — for sport
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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