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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: kick · vault · pit · track · branch · board · straw · cabinet

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. board — to get on
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pit — in a race
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. track — a song
  9. kick — in football
  10. track — a path
  11. pit — a hole
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. board — a committee
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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