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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: wind · pitcher · toast · vault · tube · racket · stock · net

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — a container
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. toast — bread
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. net — after costs
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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