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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mug — to rob
  5. net — in sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. capital — a city
  14. lie — to recline
  15. capital — money
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — for catching
  20. game — a match
  21. net — after costs
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chip — to eat
  24. game — a kind of play

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