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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 120 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
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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 · clip · bear · key · ground · vault · field · rock

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ground — a position
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — farmland
  8. tube — a container
  9. vault — a safe
  10. field — a subject
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. clip — a video
  19. ground — the earth
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. key — in music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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