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

Word bank: fall · swing · vault · bore · board · pit

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. board — a committee
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bore — to tire
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — to drill

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