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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — for money
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spell — magic
  18. chest — a box
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — completely
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chest — of your body
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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