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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · net · vault · stick · tube · cap · leaves · current

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cap — a lid
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — in sport
  5. cap — a hat
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — after costs
  9. current — happening now
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — of ice
  15. net — for catching
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. vault — a safe
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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