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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: craft · present · ruler · bat · bound · vault

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. present — the time now
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bound — certain
  10. bat — the animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bound — tied together
  14. present — there
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ruler — a monarch

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