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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · jam · fork · file · season · vault · march · pitcher

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. season — of the year
  6. vault — a safe
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. march — music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — the sport
  13. season — in sport
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. squash — to crush
  18. file — a document
  19. fork — in a road
  20. march — the month
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — the month
  24. pitcher — a jug

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