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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: cue · bear · ball · root · pound · vault · bound · march

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — obliged
  8. root — of a word
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cue — for pool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. root — the cause
  16. bound — tied together
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bound — certain
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. march — music

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