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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 116 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 · calf · safe · mate · bore · field · tube · court

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. field — a subject
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bore — to tire
  12. field — for sport
  13. tube — the underground
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. court — of a king
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — a friend
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. court — for sport
  24. mate — to breed

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