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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cue — a signal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bass — low music
  7. court — of a king
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. court — for sport
  11. board — a committee
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. board — to get on
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. court — of law
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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