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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. club — for dancing
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. vault — a safe
  7. court — of a king
  8. present — a gift
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. present — the time now
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. present — there
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chip — for betting
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. club — a group

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