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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bass · ruler · pitcher · ground · deal · band · spell

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ground — a position
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. spell — magic
  8. band — a ring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a music group
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. spell — letters
  18. vault — a safe
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ground — the earth
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bass — low music
  24. deal — to handle

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