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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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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: vault · race · ruler · board · calf · fine

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. vault — a safe
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. board — a committee
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — all right
  11. race — humankind
  12. board — to get on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — high quality

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