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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kid — to tease
  5. foot — a measure
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. court — for sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. court — of a king
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. kid — child
  21. craft — boats
  22. court — of law
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. vault — a safe

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