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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 · field · hand · bound · game · tube · coach

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — a container
  9. field — a subject
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. tube — the underground
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. field — farmland
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. field — for sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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