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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: ball · band · pit · fine · jam · patient · vault · lean

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ball — a dance
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a great time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lean — thin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. band — a music group

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