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

Word bank: coach · vault · fork · ruler · rule · saw

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rule — a law
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rule — government
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool

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