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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 120 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: race · coach · root · march · tube · saw · cap · vault

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. cap — a hat
  3. root — of a word
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. root — the cause
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. race — a contest
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — of a plant
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — the underground
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. race — the arms race
  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