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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · vault · racket · bowl · chip · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — a safe
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chair — to sit on

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