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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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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 · club · straw · bound · stick · vault · pound · rush

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. club — a group
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. club — for golf
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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