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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: vault · bat · deal · band · craft · cap · chip · nail

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cap — of ice
  4. band — a ring
  5. chip — for betting
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. band — a music group
  16. cap — a lid
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — a hat
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bat — the animal

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