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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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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tube — the underground
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ground — crushed
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — in a road
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. object — a thing
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tube — a container
  17. object — an aim
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — a position
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. object — to protest

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