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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 120 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: rash · ground · tube · ruler · key · rule · drill · vault

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rule — government
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rule — a law
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. key — the most important part
  8. drill — army training
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rash — a series
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. tube — a container
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tube — in a 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