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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. march — the month
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bat — the animal
  10. march — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. march — the month
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. squash — the sport

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