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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: vault · cabinet · game · firm · staff · arm · pitcher · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. staff — a stick
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — a company
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. tube — a container
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. vault — a safe
  14. staff — employees
  15. firm — steady
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. firm — decided
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. game — a match
  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