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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spell — magic
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. file — a tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — to handle
  17. file — a document
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. file — a line of people

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