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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. board — to get on
  5. ball — a great time
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. race — humankind
  11. swing — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. band — a ring
  18. swing — in golf
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a music group
  23. tear — from crying
  24. prune — the fruit

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