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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 · firm · board · vault · last · racket

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. last — final
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. board — a committee
  10. last — finally
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — to go on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — a safe
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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