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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · sharp · fork · vault · stock · saw · root · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. vault — a safe
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. root — of a word
  9. cue — a hint
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — the cause
  12. stock — shares
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fork — in a road
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — goods
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fork — a garden tool

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