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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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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: jam · wound · vault · sharp · suit · bat · net · wax

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. net — after costs
  10. suit — to fit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — in cards
  17. net — for catching
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. net — in sport
  24. wax — to grow

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