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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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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: wake · racket · scale · cue · cold · plane · stick · vault

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cold — not warm
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. plane — a tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. racket — a loud noise

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