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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 · tube · row · foot · game · swing · temple · racket

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. row — a line
  4. tube — a container
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tube — the underground
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. swing — to play on
  13. game — a match
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. swing — music
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. foot — a measure
  24. row — to paddle

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