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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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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: staff · kid · tube · fan · stand · vault · roll · fork

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kid — to tease
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fork — in a road
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. vault — a safe
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. staff — employees
  16. kid — child
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. roll — a list
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — a container
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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