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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: trunk · charge · vault · game · swing · firm · tube · patient

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. charge — a price
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — electricity
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. game — a match
  10. swing — in golf
  11. firm — steady
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. charge — in control
  14. tube — a container
  15. swing — to play on
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. swing — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — the underground
  20. vault — a safe
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. firm — decided
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. game — wild animals

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