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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: club · rule · craft · cue · wound · mouse · rush · vault

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. club — for golf
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. club — a group
  20. rule — a law
  21. vault — a safe
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. club — for dancing

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