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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 116 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: band · game · row · tube · squash · perch · mouse · vault

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. game — wild animals
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — to crush
  9. tube — a container
  10. perch — the fish
  11. squash — the sport
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. row — to paddle
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — a line
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — a match
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mouse — the animal

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