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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: fork · plane · bass · cue · vault · bay

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bass — low music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bass — the fish
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — to eat with
  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