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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: chair · object · squash · wake · vault · mouse · cue · ground

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. object — a thing
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wake — a trail
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. object — to protest
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  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