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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. court — of a king
  7. chip — for betting
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. court — for sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of a car

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