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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — shares
  4. present — there
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. file — a line of people
  8. present — the time now
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. file — a document
  16. tube — a container
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. stock — goods
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wave — with your hand

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