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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: racket · ruler · hand · land · field · vault · straw · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — farmland
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. field — for sport
  8. hand — in cards
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. land — to come down
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — ground
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. field — a subject
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. land — a country
  23. hand — help
  24. racket — for tennis

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