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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · squash · plane · cue · band · stock · straw · vault

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. squash — to crush
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. band — a ring
  7. squash — the sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. band — a music group
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cue — for pool
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stock — shares
  23. vault — a safe
  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