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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: stem · racket · vault · fall · club · chip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — to come from
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. club — for golf
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. vault — a safe
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fall — the season
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting

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