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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: pitcher · chair · chip · file · jam · deal · vault · spell

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. deal — to handle
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. file — a tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chip — for betting
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. file — a line of people
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chip — to eat
  18. vault — a safe
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. file — a document

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