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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: vault · can · cue · face · pop · foot · degree · suit

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — clothes
  3. can — a tin
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cue — for pool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pop — soda
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. face — to confront
  14. suit — in cards
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cue — a hint
  17. degree — temperature
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — to visit
  23. vault — a safe
  24. foot — the bottom

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