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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 · fall · vault · jam · cap · race

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fall — the season
  6. cap — a hat
  7. race — a contest
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. race — the arms race
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. race — humankind
  15. fall — to drop
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  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