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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: pop · perch · tube · hand · cabinet · pitch · stock · vault

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stock — goods
  8. tube — a container
  9. stock — shares
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — to visit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. vault — a safe
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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