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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · cap · board · vault · wound · date · rush · cue

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cap — a lid
  5. vault — a safe
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — to get on
  24. bat — for baseball

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