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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: mine · tube · plane · bear · race · pitcher · row · vault

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. race — a contest
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. row — to paddle
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. race — humankind
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — a safe
  15. tube — a container
  16. mine — for digging
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — a line
  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