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

Word bank: vault · stem · club · fall · field · mate · tube · leaves

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mate — a partner
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. club — a group
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — to breed
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mate — a friend
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stem — to come from
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. field — for sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. field — farmland
  21. fall — the season
  22. club — for golf
  23. fall — to drop
  24. field — a subject

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