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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: game · swing · vault · squash · ruler · hand · jam · pitch

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. swing — music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hand — in cards
  13. swing — to play on
  14. game — wild animals
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. squash — to crush
  17. swing — in golf
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hand — help
  23. pitch — completely
  24. jam — a tight spot

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