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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: cell · vault · firm · cap · race · game · tube · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cap — of ice
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — the underground
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. firm — decided
  8. cap — a hat
  9. firm — a company
  10. cell — a phone
  11. race — humankind
  12. cap — a lid
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. tube — a container
  16. board — a committee
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cell — in biology
  20. race — a contest
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. firm — steady
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cell — in a prison

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