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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. tube — a container
  3. vault — a safe
  4. court — for sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. court — of a king
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. court — of law
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pop — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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