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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: straw · scale · vault · rule · sharp · board · trunk · game

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. vault — a safe
  5. sharp — clever
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. game — wild animals
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. rule — government
  18. game — a match
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. straw — dry grass

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