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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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Word bank
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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 · pitcher · hide · court · vault · object · squash · march

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. object — to protest
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. object — an aim
  8. squash — the sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. object — a thing
  12. court — of law
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. march — the month
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. court — of a king

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