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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: chip · vault · saw · leaves · staff · sharp · march · mouse

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. staff — employees
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. march — music
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. leaves — of a tree

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