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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · last · hide · pitcher · charge · net · game · ruler

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. vault — a safe
  4. last — final
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. last — finally
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. net — in sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — for catching
  16. last — to go on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — after costs
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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