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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
468
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: bat · vault · craft · rash · club · mug · board · cap

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. club — for golf
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. board — to get on
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cap — a hat
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. club — for dancing
  14. board — a committee
  15. vault — a safe
  16. club — a group
  17. mug — a face
  18. bat — the animal
  19. craft — boats
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cap — a lid
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rash — a series

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