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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: stick · vault · cue · spell · drill · stock · club · hide

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. drill — army training
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cue — a signal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. club — a group
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. spell — letters
  16. cue — a hint
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cue — for pool

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