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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 · bore · ground · stock · present · vault · net · leaves

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. present — a gift
  3. board — a committee
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. present — the time now
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bore — to drill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stock — shares
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. present — there
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ground — a position
  21. net — for catching
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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