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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: mug · clip · coach · tube · pop · season · mark · vault

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pop — soda
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mark — a trace
  5. season — of the year
  6. mug — a face
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. clip — for paper
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pop — music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. clip — a video
  15. vault — a safe
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — to visit
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mug — a cup
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — to pay attention

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