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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: ball · bear · toast · bark · cabinet · file · cue · vault

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bear — the animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. file — a document
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. toast — bread

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