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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 116 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: squash · band · rush · row · cap · vault · ground · board

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. band — a music group
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ground — a position
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ground — crushed
  15. vault — a safe
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rush — hurry
  23. band — a ring
  24. cap — of ice

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