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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: deal · cell · cold · can · board · race · pit · vault

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cold — not warm
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cold — an illness
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. race — a contest
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. race — humankind
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. can — a tin
  24. vault — a safe

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