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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 116 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 · spell · fine · wind · trunk · pitch · vault · chair

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fine — all right
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chip — for betting
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spell — a short time
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. chip — to eat
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitch — a sports field

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