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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: bulb · mine · bat · court · vault · ruler · saw · rest

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. court — of a king
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of law
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — for digging
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. court — for sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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