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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. drill — a practice
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — to be able to
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. sharp — clever
  24. race — humankind

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