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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. object — an aim
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bark — to shout
  11. vault — a safe
  12. dip — to sink
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. object — to protest
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stand — to bear
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — a container
  24. bark — of a tree

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