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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: vault · game · dip · staff · board · branch · sharp · deal

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. board — to get on
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — clever
  13. deal — to handle
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. game — wild animals
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — a division
  24. staff — a stick

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