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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: coach · tube · stock · vault · chest · staff · present · cue

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tube — a container
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stock — shares
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chest — of your body
  13. staff — employees
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cue — a hint
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. cue — for pool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. staff — a stick
  22. present — there
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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