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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 116 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: fine · key · vault · bowl · racket · cue · clip · current

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. clip — for paper
  5. current — of water
  6. fine — all right
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. key — for a lock
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cue — a signal
  13. current — electric
  14. cue — a hint
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fine — high quality
  17. vault — a safe
  18. key — in music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — happening now
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — a video
  24. bowl — to roll

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