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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stem — to come from
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. band — a ring
  18. cue — a hint
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cue — a signal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. band — a music group
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — a stem cell

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