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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 · deal · cap · vault · fall · ground · rash · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cap — a hat
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ground — a position
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rash — a series
  15. board — a committee
  16. cap — of ice
  17. file — a document
  18. ground — the earth
  19. file — a tool
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fall — the season
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. board — to get on
  24. fall — to drop

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