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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · cue · stock · sharp · can · band

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. can — a tin
  4. band — a music group
  5. stock — goods
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — a signal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cue — for pool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. band — a ring
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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