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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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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pop — music
  12. club — for golf
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — soda
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. club — a group
  18. cap — of ice
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cue — a signal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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