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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: squash · band · game · vault · scale · cue · sharp · stem

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. band — a music group
  7. squash — the sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. vault — a safe
  10. game — a match
  11. scale — size or range
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — a hint
  16. game — wild animals
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cue — a signal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. scale — in music

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