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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 120 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 · kid · vault · deal · season · pit

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kid — to tease
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. season — of the year
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. season — in sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. season — to add flavour

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