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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spring — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spring — of water
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. craft — boats
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. craft — a skill
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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