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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 · spring · bark · hand · chest · board · chip

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spring — the season
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chest — of your body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — of water
  10. hand — help
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. board — to get on
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chip — for betting
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chest — of your body
  22. board — a committee
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cue — a signal

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