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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. staff — employees
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — a container
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — employees
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. roll — a cake
  15. vault — a safe
  16. staff — a stick
  17. roll — a list
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bank — for money
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tube — the underground
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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