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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fine — all right
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chip — for betting
  5. present — a gift
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. present — the time now
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. last — to go on
  18. shower — rain
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. present — there
  23. fine — high quality
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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