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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. march — music
  3. object — a thing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chip — to eat
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. object — to protest
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. root — the cause
  13. court — for sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — of law
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. root — of a plant
  20. object — an aim
  21. root — of a word
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. court — of a king
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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