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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 116 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 · club · vault · racket · pitcher · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. vault — a safe
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. club — for dancing

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