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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: swing · ruler · fine · hand · ground · season · bore · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fine — all right
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bore — to drill
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. swing — to play on
  9. season — of the year
  10. hand — help
  11. fine — high quality
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ground — a position
  16. season — in sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. swing — music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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