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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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468
Word bank
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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. kick — in football
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cue — for pool
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cue — a hint
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — to play on
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bass — low music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. degree — temperature
  15. swing — music
  16. tube — a container
  17. swing — in golf
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bass — the fish
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. degree — from a university
  24. racket — a loud noise

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