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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 120 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: arm · board · pitch · vault · tube · sharp · land · bank

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bank — for money
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — clever
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. board — a committee
  14. land — ground
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bank — of a river
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitch — completely
  22. board — to get on
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tube — a container

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