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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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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: cue · toast · wake · net · racket · rest · vault · degree

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rest — what's left
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. degree — an amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. degree — temperature
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. degree — from a university
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — a trail
  16. vault — a safe
  17. net — for catching
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rest — a break
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. net — in sport

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