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

Word bank: chest · suit · cue · pop · rest · court · vault · ruler

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pop — soda
  5. court — for sport
  6. pop — music
  7. cue — a hint
  8. suit — in cards
  9. court — of a king
  10. chest — a box
  11. rest — a break
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of law
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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