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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: club · cue · last · band · squash · plane · vault · stand

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. plane — a tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. band — a ring
  10. last — final
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stand — to bear
  13. club — a group
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. squash — the sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cue — for pool
  19. last — finally
  20. club — for golf
  21. cue — a signal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. last — to go on

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