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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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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: drill · court · current · bat · charge · can · cue · vault

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. court — of a king
  4. drill — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. drill — a practice
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — for pool
  12. drill — army training
  13. can — a tin
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — of water
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. current — happening now
  21. court — of law
  22. charge — electricity
  23. court — for sport
  24. bat — the animal

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