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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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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 · hide · cap · bowl · racket · wake · rock · board

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rock — a stone
  6. board — to get on
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wake — a trail
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rock — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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