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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · fork · rush · arm · march · pitcher · vault · object

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. board — a committee
  7. march — music
  8. object — an aim
  9. board — to get on
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. object — a thing
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. object — to protest
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. march — the month
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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