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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 116 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: safe · rash · fork · clip · club · squash · cue · vault

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. club — a group
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. club — for dancing
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rash — hasty
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. clip — to cut
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. club — for golf
  19. rash — a series
  20. fork — in a road
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. squash — the sport
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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