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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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Word bank
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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: object · vault · ruler · pitcher · squash · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. vault — a safe
  5. object — to protest
  6. tear — to rip
  7. squash — the sport
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — a thing

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