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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: staff · field · bulb · rush · mouse · cue · vault · coach

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cue — for pool
  4. field — for sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. field — a subject
  8. bulb — for light
  9. vault — a safe
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — a signal
  24. field — farmland

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