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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · foot · club · rash · bat · nail · ball · vault

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. board — a committee
  5. ball — a great time
  6. club — for golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. club — a group
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. foot — the bottom

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