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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. object — a thing
  5. bore — to drill
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. board — to get on
  10. race — humankind
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — a break
  14. object — an aim
  15. bore — to tire
  16. object — to protest
  17. march — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — the month
  20. race — the arms race
  21. board — a committee
  22. rest — what's left
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fork — to eat with

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