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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 116 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: ruler · vault · wound · suit · bark · content · pitcher · ball

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — the amount
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — to shout

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