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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 120 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: dip · kick · wind · pitcher · vault · chip · game · stem

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. game — wild animals
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. game — a match
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. dip — to dunk
  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