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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: club · present · shower · vault · race · ruler

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. race — the arms race
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. club — for dancing
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. race — a contest
  8. shower — to wash
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — there
  11. club — a group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. present — the time now
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. club — for golf
  18. vault — a safe

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