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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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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: last · cue · board · vault · pitcher · pass · rush · bark

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — a committee
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. last — finally
  7. bark — to shout
  8. board — to get on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. last — to go on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. last — final
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — a hint

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