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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 116 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: chair · board · object · vault · patient · hide · club · fine

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. object — a thing
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fine — high quality
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fine — all right
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — a safe
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — an aim
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. club — a group
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. object — to protest
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. board — a committee
  22. club — for golf
  23. patient — a sick person
  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