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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 · date · fan · pass · bat · rush · present

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. present — the time now
  11. board — a committee
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. present — a gift
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. present — there
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. date — the fruit
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rush — hurry

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