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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: rule · ball · cue · face · date · bat · vault · cabinet

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bat — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rule — government
  8. cue — a signal
  9. face — to confront
  10. ball — a dance
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ball — a great time
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rule — a law
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ball — a round shape

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