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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. vault — a safe
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. board — a committee
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spring — the season
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — a coil
  15. club — a group
  16. tube — the underground
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cell — a phone
  19. club — for golf
  20. current — happening now
  21. cell — in biology
  22. spring — of water
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. club — for dancing

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