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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: fall · ball · bass · race · mouse · saw · vault · cue

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. bass — low music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fall — to drop
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. race — a contest
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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