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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: club · vault · kid · mug · mine · ruler · ground · safe

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mug — a face
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — a cup
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kid — to tease
  8. club — a group
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — child
  15. ground — crushed
  16. club — for golf
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mug — to rob
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ground — a position

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