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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 120 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 · present · firm · vault · squash · racket · bank · net

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — a gift
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — to eat
  8. squash — the sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. net — for catching
  11. vault — a safe
  12. present — there
  13. firm — a company
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — the time now
  18. net — in sport
  19. firm — steady
  20. net — after costs
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chip — for betting
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chip — in a computer

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