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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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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: cap · pit · drill · band · foot · board · vault · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pit — in a race
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. band — a ring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cap — a hat
  14. foot — a measure
  15. drill — the tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. chest — of your body
  18. vault — a safe
  19. band — a music group
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. chest — of your body
  24. board — to get on

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