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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 · toast · current · kick · bowl · vault · ruler · file

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. vault — a safe
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. kick — in football
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bat — the animal
  15. file — a tool
  16. current — happening now
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. current — of water
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. current — electric
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bowl — a football final

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