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

Word bank: chip · vault · hide · safe · club · capital

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. capital — a city
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. chip — to eat
  8. club — for golf
  9. capital — money
  10. club — for dancing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. club — a group
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. safe — a strongbox

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