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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: suit · board · vault · tube · track · spring · staff · pitcher

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — the underground
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. staff — employees
  10. spring — the season
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — to get on
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. board — a committee
  16. track — a path
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. suit — to fit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. track — a song

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