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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 120 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: cue · bulb · hand · vault · mouse · stick · key · cabinet

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hand — in cards
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a signal
  15. key — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hand — help
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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