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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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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: prune · last · vault · board · stick · chip · tube · cabinet

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. tube — a container
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — to go on
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. board — a committee
  9. tube — the underground
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — for betting
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. board — to get on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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