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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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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: field · rock · charge · hide · vault · band · net · tube

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — farmland
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. field — for sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — in control
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. band — a ring
  13. net — after costs
  14. charge — a price
  15. net — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hide — animal skin

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