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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: race · board · game · leaves · pound · spell · vault · plane

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spell — magic
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. race — the arms race
  6. spell — a short time
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. board — a committee
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. race — a contest
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. spell — letters
  18. plane — a tool
  19. board — to get on
  20. race — humankind
  21. game — a match
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a flat piece

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