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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 120 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: bat · pitcher · game · cue · board · cabinet · vault · stand

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. game — a match
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cue — a hint
  21. board — a committee
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stand — to bear

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