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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: jam · object · mine · hide · vault · cap · track · chip

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — of ice
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. vault — a safe
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. object — a thing
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cap — a hat
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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