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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chip — for betting
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. land — ground
  8. band — a ring
  9. land — a country
  10. band — a music group
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. object — a thing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. court — for sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. vault — a safe
  19. court — of a king
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. object — to protest
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of law
  24. land — to come down

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