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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: bat · race · ruler · vault · ball · wound · pass · pop

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. race — humankind
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — a contest
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wound — an injury

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