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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 · cap · staff · pitcher · vault · suit · calf · straw

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cue — for pool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cue — a hint
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cap — a lid
  23. suit — clothes
  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