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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: squash · rock · plane · vault · cue · bear · pitcher · spring

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. spring — the season
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bear — the animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. plane — a tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cue — for pool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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