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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: cue · mine · dip · pound · safe · ground · toast · vault

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ground — the earth
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cue — a hint
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ground — a position
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cue — a signal
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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