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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
468
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: arm · ground · jam · plane · track · vault · pit · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. vault — a safe
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pit — in a race
  7. net — after costs
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — a song
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pit — a hole
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. ground — crushed
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ground — a position
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. net — for catching
  23. track — a path
  24. plane — a tool

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