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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: stand · stick · mouse · root · vault · chair · sharp · tube

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — of a plant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chair — a leader
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — a container
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. root — of a word
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tube — the underground
  24. sharp — clever

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