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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: season · board · leaves · squash · coach · bore · vault · band

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. band — a ring
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. vault — a safe
  10. season — in sport
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. board — a committee
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bore — to drill
  17. board — to get on
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bore — to tire

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