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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. vault — a safe
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — the cause
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chip — to eat
  9. root — of a word
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. track — a path
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tube — a container
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — in sport
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. track — a song
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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