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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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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: bay · cell · season · chip · bear · vault

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. season — in sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cell — in biology
  18. season — of the year

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