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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: bat · vault · racket · rock · squash · kick · ruler · saw

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rock — music
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bat — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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