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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: cold · vault · rule · can · mug · trunk · racket · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cold — an illness
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — a face
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mug — to rob

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