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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. track — a path
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. last — to go on
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a song
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bowl — a football final

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