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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 · vault · racket · charge · court · land · pitch · hand

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. court — of a king
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — completely
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. charge — in control
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. charge — a price
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. land — ground
  17. court — for sport
  18. charge — electricity
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. court — of law
  21. land — to come down
  22. vault — a safe
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. land — a country

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