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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.

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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: safe · vault · cue · tube · fine · row · court · fork

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. court — of law
  5. row — a line
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. row — to paddle
  10. vault — a safe
  11. court — of a king
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — a container
  19. court — for sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fine — all right
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fine — high quality

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