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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: suit · toast · tube · craft · vault · file · chair · stock

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. file — a document
  3. chair — a leader
  4. craft — boats
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stock — goods
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. file — a tool
  11. toast — bread
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tube — the underground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stock — shares
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. suit — clothes
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. file — a line of people
  24. tube — a container

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