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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: lie · plane · current · vault · cue · club · fork · mark

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. club — for golf
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cue — a signal
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fork — in a road
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mark — a trace
  16. current — of water
  17. cue — a hint
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — electric
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. plane — in geometry

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