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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 120 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: tube · vault · pitcher · squash · cabinet · saw · ball · stock

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ball — a dance
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ball — a great time
  8. tube — a container
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stock — shares
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — a soup base

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