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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: squash · tube · vault · stem · dip · court · mouse · bass

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. bass — low music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. court — of a king
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. dip — to sink
  15. tube — a container
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. court — for sport
  22. vault — a safe
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the fish

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