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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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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: vault · dip · chest · mark · object · game · chip · deal

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chest — of your body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. object — an aim
  6. chest — of your body
  7. vault — a safe
  8. object — to protest
  9. chip — for betting
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — a grade
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — a match
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. game — wild animals
  19. chest — a box
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mark — a trace
  24. object — a thing

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