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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.

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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: shower · degree · chip · file · club · chair · vault · squash

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. file — a document
  2. club — a group
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. squash — to crush
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. squash — the sport
  15. shower — rain
  16. chip — for betting
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. file — a tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. chair — a leader
  22. degree — from a university
  23. file — a line of people
  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