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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 120 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: ruler · vault · root · pitch · club · drill · mate · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. vault — a safe
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. wind — moving air
  14. drill — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. drill — army training
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. club — for golf
  21. root — of a plant
  22. club — a group
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wind — to turn a key

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