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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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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: board · bowl · stick · kid · vault · club

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. club — for golf
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. club — a group
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. board — to get on
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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