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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: ruler · chest · hand · deal · stand · field · vault · current

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. field — a subject
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. deal — to handle
  11. current — electric
  12. vault — a safe
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chest — a box
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — happening now
  24. stand — for spectators

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