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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: court · club · wound · wake · vault · mug · cue · arm

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cue — a signal
  4. court — of law
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. club — for golf
  7. mug — a face
  8. club — a group
  9. cue — a hint
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mug — a cup
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — to rob
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cue — for pool

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