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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: patient · perch · cue · race · club · vault · date · pop

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. date — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — a hint
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. club — for golf
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. race — a contest
  12. club — for dancing
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — soda
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. club — a group
  18. pop — music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — to visit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. race — humankind

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