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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: cue · pitcher · lash · bay · calf · mark · vault · capital

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. capital — money
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — for pool
  15. capital — a city
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bay — a horse colour

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