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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fan · pitch · foot · content · rush · club · vault

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. board — to get on
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. club — a group
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. club — for golf
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. content — happy
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rush — hurry
  23. foot — a measure
  24. content — the amount

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