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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cue — for pool
  5. band — a music group
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — a contest
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cue — a signal
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cue — a hint
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pit — in a race
  21. race — humankind
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitch — completely
  24. squash — to crush

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