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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. field — farmland
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spell — magic
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stand — to bear
  19. spell — letters
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fork — in a road

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