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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 · vault · pitcher · court · mate · press · pound · fall

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mate — a partner
  5. court — of law
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — to push
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fall — to drop

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