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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: net · scale · vault · leaves · tube · press · pitcher · chip

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. tube — a container
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chip — to eat
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — to push
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chip — for betting
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. press — newspapers

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