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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: board · saw · shower · vault · racket · game · pound · branch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. branch — a division
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. board — a committee
  7. pound — a weight
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. game — a match
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. vault — a safe
  22. game — wild animals
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pound — to hit hard

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