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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 116 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: band · kid · board · charge · saw · vault · racket · bowl

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kid — child
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. band — a ring
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. band — a music group
  13. board — a committee
  14. charge — electricity
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kid — to tease
  17. charge — a price
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — in control

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