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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: net · stand · vault · press · ruler · race · fan · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. race — the arms race
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kid — to tease
  10. press — to push
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — after costs
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. race — a contest
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — a publisher
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. race — humankind
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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