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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mine — for digging
  3. vault — a safe
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spring — of water
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. file — a line of people
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spring — a coil
  14. file — a document
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pitch — completely
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. file — a tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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