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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · tear · craft · pit · rock · vault

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — boats
  12. pit — in a race
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rock — music
  18. tear — from crying

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