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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 · vault · calf · bound · sharp · pit · march · mark

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cue — a signal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mark — a trace
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — in a race
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. march — the month
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bound — certain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — music
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cue — a hint
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pit — a hole
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cue — for pool

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