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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: band · vault · degree · ruler · bat · bowl

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. band — a music group
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. band — a ring
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. degree — from a university
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bat — for baseball

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