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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: jam · season · vault · content · rest · mug · rule · tube

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. content — happy
  9. rest — what's left
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rest — a break
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tube — a container
  16. content — the amount
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rule — government
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rule — a law
  22. tube — the underground
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mug — a face

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