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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: race · board · branch · vault · mate · capital · bear · season

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. season — of the year
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mate — a friend
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bear — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. capital — a city
  19. race — humankind
  20. mate — to breed
  21. race — a contest
  22. board — to get on
  23. vault — a safe
  24. branch — of a bank

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