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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: toast · vault · ball · degree · race · cue · tube · dip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ball — a great time
  4. race — the arms race
  5. vault — a safe
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. degree — temperature
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cue — a hint
  13. race — a contest
  14. tube — the underground
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. race — humankind
  19. tube — a container
  20. toast — bread
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. dip — to sink
  24. degree — an amount

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