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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · tube · clip · deal · prune · cue · pitcher · vault

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. clip — to cut
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. clip — a video
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cue — a hint
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — a trace
  19. clip — for paper
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tube — a container
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — an agreement

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