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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: mark · vault · ruler · racket · bay · lean · squash · content

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mark — a grade
  6. content — happy
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lean — to bend
  19. squash — to crush
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lean — thin
  24. content — the amount

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