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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: cell · sharp · band · vault · rule · board

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. band — a ring
  3. board — a committee
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. band — a music group
  8. board — to get on
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rule — a law
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. band — a rubber band

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