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

Word bank: chip · key · cell · vault · bear · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pop — soda
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pop — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — in music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chip — for betting
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chip — to eat

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