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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: rock · pass · roll · cue · row · vault · object · cell

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cue — a signal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. row — a line
  5. cell — a phone
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cue — for pool
  8. row — to paddle
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. cue — a hint
  12. object — a thing
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rock — music
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. roll — a cake
  20. vault — a safe
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rock — a stone

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