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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 · deal · pitcher · tube · band · coach · cabinet · staff

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. tube — a container
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. deal — to handle
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — the underground

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