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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. date — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. roll — a list
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stand — to bear
  15. roll — a cake
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. tube — a container
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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