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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: ruler · ground · racket · march · vault · straw

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ground — crushed
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth

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