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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: vault · rash · rock · date · tube · roll · stock · wave

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. roll — a list
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stock — shares
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rock — music
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stock — goods
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rock — a stone

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