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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: vault · leaves · club · date · bass · ruler · tube · board

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. vault — a safe
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bass — the fish
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. club — a group
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — for golf
  13. board — a committee
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. board — to get on
  16. tube — the underground
  17. date — the fruit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. club — for dancing
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bass — low 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