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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
468
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: pit · spell · drill · net · arm · board · season · vault

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. board — to get on
  3. season — in sport
  4. spell — magic
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — a committee
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pit — a hole
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. net — after costs
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — for catching
  18. drill — army training
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. net — in sport
  21. vault — a safe
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. board — a flat piece

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