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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: foot · game · jam · vault · last · present · bowl · craft

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. game — a match
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. foot — a measure
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. vault — a safe
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. present — there
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. game — wild animals
  14. last — final
  15. craft — boats
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. last — to go on
  19. present — the time now
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. last — finally
  22. present — a gift
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bowl — to roll

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