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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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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: calf · vault · pit · cue · racket · chair · board · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. board — to get on
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spell — magic
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. board — a committee
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. racket — for tennis

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