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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · cell · tube · board · vault · ball · stem · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fine — all right
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. vault — a safe
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. march — the month
  23. tube — a container
  24. fine — a penalty

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