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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: chip · staff · tube · vault · firm · pitcher · kid · pitch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. firm — steady
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. staff — a stick
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. firm — a company
  16. tube — a container
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. kid — child
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pitch — completely
  22. firm — decided
  23. chip — for betting
  24. staff — employees

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