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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: tube · stick · kick · vault · swing · bank · scale · rule

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — a law
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — a container
  7. scale — size or range
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rule — government
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — the underground
  20. swing — music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bank — of a river
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bank — for money

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