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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: bat · kid · board · calf · vault · ruler

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. kid — child
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. board — a committee
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bat — the animal
  12. board — to get on
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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