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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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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. board — a committee
  3. net — for catching
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — after costs
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pop — music
  9. drill — army training
  10. root — of a word
  11. net — in sport
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. vault — a safe
  14. root — of a plant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — to get on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — the cause
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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