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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. vault — a safe
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cue — for pool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cue — a hint
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cap — of ice
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. swing — music
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — a tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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