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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.

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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: bore · vault · rule · court · board · craft · lie · stock

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. craft — boats
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rule — a law
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stock — shares
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — a committee
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rule — government
  14. bore — to drill
  15. board — to get on
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — for sport
  24. stock — goods

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