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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: rule · wake · pitcher · kid · vault · jam · staff · fine

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kid — child
  5. wake — a trail
  6. vault — a safe
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kid — to tease
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fine — all right

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