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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tube — a container
  12. dip — to sink
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — shares
  19. kid — child
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stock — goods
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. coach — a trainer

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