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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — a gift
  5. band — a music group
  6. present — the time now
  7. field — a subject
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — to protest
  11. field — farmland
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — there
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — an aim
  19. band — a ring
  20. board — a committee
  21. object — a thing
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. field — for sport

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