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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · pitcher · clip · hide · vault · club · cue · track

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. clip — a video
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. club — for golf
  9. track — to keep track
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — a group
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — for dancing
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — a safe
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. track — a song
  24. cue — a hint

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