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

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — soda
  6. kid — to tease
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. object — to protest
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pop — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cue — a hint

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