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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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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: chip · vault · nail · track · spring · bat · sharp · dip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. track — a path
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. vault — a safe
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spring — a coil
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bat — the animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. track — a song

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