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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: sharp · vault · last · rest · field · racket · cue · tube

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. vault — a safe
  3. field — farmland
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cue — for pool
  6. tube — a container
  7. cue — a hint
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. last — final
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rest — what's left
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — for sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. last — to go on
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. field — a subject
  23. last — finally
  24. rest — a break

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