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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: vault · fine · ruler · bat · pound · pass · board · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fine — all right
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pound — a weight
  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