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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: vault · pitcher · jam · chair · ruler · snap · capital · saw

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. snap — to click
  7. capital — money
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. capital — a city
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. vault — a safe
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. jam — a tight spot

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