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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 · bark · can · court · craft · vault · pitcher · leaves

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bark — to shout
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. court — of law
  10. cue — a hint
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. vault — a safe
  18. can — to be able to
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — a handicraft

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