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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. key — in music
  6. pitch — completely
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cue — a hint
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cue — a signal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. press — newspapers
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cold — an illness
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. date — on the calendar

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