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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: race · calf · board · patient · vault · mark · season · deal

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. board — to get on
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — humankind
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — a committee
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. calf — of the leg

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