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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
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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: mark · racket · pitcher · wave · spring · vault · season · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tube — a container
  8. season — of the year
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. spring — the season
  11. season — in sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spring — a coil
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitcher — a jug

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