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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: bat · last · pitcher · board · cue · vault · mate · rule

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mate — a partner
  7. board — a committee
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mate — to breed
  16. board — to get on
  17. rule — a law
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. last — finally
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bat — the animal
  23. last — final
  24. pitcher — a jug

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