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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: chip · bowl · tube · vault · fork · jam · stand · straw

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chip — to eat
  8. tube — a container
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stand — to bear
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. tube — the underground
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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