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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: vault · stand · tube · pound · stem · pitcher · toast · wax

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pound — a weight
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. toast — bread
  24. stem — a stem cell

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