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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: nail · pound · coach · deal · cue · vault · trunk · court

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cue — a signal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pound — a weight
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. vault — a safe
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cue — a hint
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. court — for sport
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — of a king
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. court — of law
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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