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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: ruler · vault · staff · pass · deal · game

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. staff — employees
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pass — a permit
  12. game — wild animals
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ruler — for measuring

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