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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — low music
  7. sharp — clever
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cue — a hint
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mark — a grade
  16. march — the month
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. march — music
  19. root — of a word
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. root — the cause

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