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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. object — to protest
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. clip — for paper
  6. field — farmland
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. field — a subject
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bass — the fish
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. clip — to cut
  15. object — an aim
  16. clip — a video
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — a thing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bass — low music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — a signal

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