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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: vault · wound · craft · roll · bore · bowl · squash · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wound — an injury
  6. roll — a list
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. craft — boats
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wound — an injury
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bore — to tire
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. roll — a cake
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. squash — the sport

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