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

Word bank: temple · cue · club · vault · land · suit · deal · straw

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. vault — a safe
  3. land — to come down
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. suit — clothes
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. club — a group
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cue — for pool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. land — ground
  12. cue — a signal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cue — a hint
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. land — a country
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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