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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: board · vault · file · court · press · club · staff · lean

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lean — thin
  4. file — a tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. staff — employees
  8. club — for golf
  9. file — a document
  10. club — a group
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lean — to bend
  16. staff — employees
  17. club — for dancing
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. press — to push
  22. court — of law
  23. vault — a safe
  24. board — to get on

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