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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: stock · dip · tube · club · land · press · vault · can

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stock — shares
  6. land — a country
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. can — a tin
  9. club — for golf
  10. press — a publisher
  11. land — ground
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for dancing
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. can — a tin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. land — to come down
  24. club — a group

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