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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. vault — a safe
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. date — the fruit
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. game — a match
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. game — wild animals
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tube — a container

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