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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 120 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: mate · march · cue · prune · dip · court · stand · vault

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. court — for sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mate — a partner
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. mate — to breed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. march — music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cue — a signal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. march — the month
  18. cue — for pool
  19. march — the month
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mate — a friend
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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