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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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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: bowl · mark · fork · stem · vault · pit · chest · tube

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mark — a grade
  6. chest — of your body
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. vault — a safe
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fork — to eat with

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