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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · pitcher · ruler · swing · face · spring · vault · bat

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. spring — the season
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. game — a match
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. game — wild animals
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spring — of water
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spring — a coil

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