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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: ruler · calf · vault · scale · clip · racket

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. clip — to cut
  8. scale — in music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. scale — size or range
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. clip — a video
  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