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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · staff · vault · chip · band · pop · coach · stick

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a ring
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. band — a music group
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chip — to eat
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — music
  20. staff — a stick
  21. vault — a safe
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rash — a series

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