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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · spring · vault · bowl · chip · land · pitcher · band

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spring — of water
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. band — a music group
  14. spring — a coil
  15. land — a country
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spring — the season
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. vault — a safe

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