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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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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: vault · content · club · mouse · ruler · ground · straw · jam

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. club — for golf
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. content — happy
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. content — the amount
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. club — a group
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. club — for dancing

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