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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: squash · arm · key · board · sharp · vault · snap · capital

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. squash — to crush
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. squash — the sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. capital — money
  17. board — a committee
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. sharp — clever
  21. key — the most important part
  22. snap — to click
  23. key — in music
  24. capital — a city

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