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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. object — a thing
  5. root — the cause
  6. chip — for betting
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. object — to protest
  18. game — a match
  19. vault — a safe
  20. game — wild animals
  21. root — of a plant
  22. object — an aim
  23. root — of a word
  24. calf — a young animal

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