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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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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: vault · row · rest · bass · shower · object · field · chip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. shower — rain
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. object — an aim
  9. row — a line
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — the fish
  12. field — a subject
  13. rest — a break
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chip — to eat
  16. field — for sport
  17. row — to paddle
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chip — for betting
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. shower — to wash
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — low music

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