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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: fine · sharp · race · vault · pass · kid · land · board

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. sharp — clever
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fine — high quality
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — ground
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. land — a country
  14. fine — all right
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pass — a permit
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. board — a committee
  19. kid — to tease
  20. race — humankind
  21. kid — child
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. race — a contest
  24. board — to get on

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