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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: vault · saw · march · bear · mine · ruler · club · tube

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. club — a group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. march — the month
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. club — for golf
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. club — for dancing
  24. vault — a safe

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