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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · board · tube · vault · key · game · date · last

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. last — to go on
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. board — a committee
  10. game — a match
  11. key — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. date — the fruit
  14. last — final
  15. tube — the underground
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. game — wild animals
  22. tube — a container
  23. last — finally
  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