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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 · staff · branch · foot · bulb · kid · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. board — a committee
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — a division
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bulb — for light
  11. staff — employees
  12. board — to get on
  13. vault — a safe
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. staff — a stick
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. kid — child
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. date — the fruit
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — of a bank

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