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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 · perch · cabinet · fan · field · bound · season · vault

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. field — farmland
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — tied together
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — in sport
  12. field — for sport
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. field — a subject
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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