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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: cue · net · arm · vault · club · bear · tube · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. vault — a safe
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. club — for golf
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. club — a group
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — the underground
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — a signal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cue — a hint
  17. tube — a container
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. cue — for pool
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bear — to put up with

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