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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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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kid — to tease
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. drill — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — high quality
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. drill — army training
  22. kid — child
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pound — a weight

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