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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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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: staff · foot · vault · drill · tube · mark · fork · row

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. foot — a measure
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. row — a line
  8. vault — a safe
  9. drill — army training
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — a grade
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fork — in a road
  14. row — to paddle
  15. staff — employees
  16. mark — a trace
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. drill — the tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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