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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: ball · bank · stock · object · tube · vault · last · cell

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cell — in biology
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. tube — a container
  11. last — to go on
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stock — shares
  16. last — final
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. object — an aim
  22. last — finally
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bank — for money

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