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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: board · file · pit · hand · foot · mate · vault · ball

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. file — a tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pit — a hole
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ball — a dance
  10. file — a line of people
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. file — a document
  13. board — to get on
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hand — help
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hand — in cards

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