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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: rule · vault · ball · cap · fall · roll · cue · trunk

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cue — a hint
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ball — a great time
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cap — a lid
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cap — of ice
  15. roll — a cake
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fall — to drop
  18. roll — a list
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rule — a law
  22. fall — the season
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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