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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: bat · vault · can · club · sharp · press · ruler · roll

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. roll — a list
  3. sharp — clever
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — to push
  7. club — for golf
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. can — to be able to
  12. club — a group
  13. bat — the animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. vault — a safe
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. roll — a cake
  24. press — newspapers

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