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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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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: stem · pit · vault · cue · staff · spring · stick · craft

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cue — a hint
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — a signal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. spring — of water
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stem — to come from
  17. craft — boats
  18. spring — a coil
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. spring — the season
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. staff — employees

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