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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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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: trunk · dip · board · vault · roll · pound · arm · bowl

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. board — a committee
  4. vault — a safe
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pound — a weight
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. roll — a list
  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