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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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Word bank
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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: vault · root · field · craft · cold · can · chip · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. root — of a word
  3. craft — boats
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. field — farmland
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. field — a subject
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — for sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cold — an illness
  17. can — to be able to
  18. craft — a skill
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cold — not warm

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