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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 120 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: board · temple · sharp · stand · bowl · vault

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — a safe
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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