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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: wake · game · cap · vault · jam · cue · coach · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cue — a hint
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cap — a hat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — for pool
  17. game — a match
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wake — before a funeral

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