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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: cue · bear · tube · current · vault · cell · craft · board

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tube — the underground
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — happening now
  9. cell — in biology
  10. craft — boats
  11. cue — a signal
  12. current — electric
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. current — of water
  22. board — to get on
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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