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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: ruler · stick · wave · vault · net · tube · fan · pitch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitch — completely
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. net — in sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — for catching
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. net — after costs

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