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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: current · pop · deal · fan · racket · vault · cabinet · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. current — happening now
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. current — of water
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — electric
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. tube — the underground
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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