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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 · foot · field · ruler · ball · chest · plane

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. field — farmland
  5. ball — a great time
  6. board — a committee
  7. chest — of your body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chest — a box
  15. field — a subject
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. field — for sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ball — a dance

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