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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: date · nail · staff · saw · cue · vault · ground · march

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — a position
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cue — a signal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. date — the fruit
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — a hint
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — the earth
  19. staff — a stick
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. march — the month
  23. cue — for pool
  24. march — music

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