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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.

Make a worksheet

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: suit · bark · present · court · bass · vault · roll · cue

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. roll — a list
  2. court — for sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cue — for pool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. present — the time now
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bark — to shout
  14. court — of law
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bass — low music
  17. court — of a king
  18. suit — to fit
  19. present — there
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cue — a hint
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. present — a gift
  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