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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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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: rule · arm · vault · band · foot · board · fork · hand

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. band — a ring
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. board — a committee
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rule — government
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rule — a law
  12. band — a music group
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. hand — help
  21. vault — a safe
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hand — part of the body
  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