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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: lie · cap · cue · mouse · vault · prune · pitcher · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cue — for pool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — a signal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cap — a lid
  18. prune — to trim
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cap — a hat
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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