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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: chair · tube · mark · pop · vault · band · last · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. last — finally
  3. band — a ring
  4. rash — hasty
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. band — a music group
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. last — to go on
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rash — a series
  23. last — final
  24. tube — in a tire

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