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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · dip · clip · fine · ball · vault · calf · foot

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cue — a signal
  3. clip — a video
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ball — a dance
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fine — all right
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. clip — to cut
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cue — for pool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. clip — for paper

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