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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: coach · ground · chip · vault · pit · rule

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chip — for betting
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — a position
  10. rule — government
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rule — a law
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rule — to rule out

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