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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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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. season — in sport
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — a committee
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. drill — army training
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bank — of a river
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — a partner
  17. board — to get on
  18. mate — a friend
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — to breed
  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