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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 · ground · racket · march · vault · straw · fork · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ground — a position
  6. vault — a safe
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fork — in a road
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. march — music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. drill — army training
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. drill — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — the earth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — crushed

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