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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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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: lean · board · vault · mark · race · staff · bat · fork

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. race — humankind
  3. board — to get on
  4. race — a contest
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mark — a trace
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. vault — a safe
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. race — the arms race
  14. staff — employees
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. board — a committee
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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