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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: row · mouse · mark · vault · racket · cue · firm · bark

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. row — a line
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. firm — a company
  6. bark — to shout
  7. firm — decided
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cue — a signal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. firm — steady
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mark — a trace
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cue — for pool

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