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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: branch · vault · bore · spring · band · stock · cue · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spring — a coil
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. spring — the season
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spring — of water
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tube — the underground
  16. band — a ring
  17. stock — shares
  18. branch — a division
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stock — goods
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bore — gave birth

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