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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chip — to eat
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bank — for money
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chip — for betting
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — to sink
  12. game — a match
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bank — for money
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. shower — to wash

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