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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: tube · chest · pitch · jam · vault · mouse · hand · cabinet

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. vault — a safe
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tube — a container
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — help
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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