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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: nail · vault · date · fan · field · bulb · cue · mark

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mark — a trace
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — for sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. nail — on a finger

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