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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: march · wake · coach · vault · pitch · tube · mouse · chip

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. march — the month
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. march — music

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