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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: wave · board · pass · chair · current · race · game · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. game — a match
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. current — electric
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — of water
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. chair — a leader
  11. board — a committee
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. race — the arms race
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. current — happening now
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. board — to get on
  24. game — wild animals

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