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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: vault · press · ground · ruler · chip · lean · ball · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ball — a dance
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chip — for betting
  7. press — newspapers
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lean — thin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — a publisher
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chip — to eat
  21. press — to push
  22. ground — a position
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — the earth

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