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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: stem · lie · racket · vault · game · present · date · chip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. present — a gift
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — there
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. present — the time now
  16. chip — for betting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. game — wild animals

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