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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: vault · ruler · bat · current · march · pound · plane · saw

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. vault — a safe
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. march — the month
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. current — electric
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — of water
  24. bat — for baseball

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