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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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Word bank
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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: band · board · vault · mine · rush · bark

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — a committee
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — to get on
  13. bark — to shout
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — hurry
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. rush — a thrill

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