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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bound — certain
  7. land — ground
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kid — child
  18. cue — for pool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fall — the season
  22. bound — tied together
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bound — obliged

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