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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: tube · mug · pop · bear · vault · clip · mine · date

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. clip — a video
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pop — music
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pop — soda
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mine — for digging
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — a container
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pop — to visit

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