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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: shower · patient · vault · cue · club · sharp · craft · deal

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cue — a signal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — for pool
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. vault — a safe
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for golf

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