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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: mine · board · vault · pop · hand · fine · calf · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. vault — a safe
  3. race — humankind
  4. board — to get on
  5. fine — all right
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. board — a committee
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pop — soda
  13. hand — help
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hand — in cards

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