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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: lean · bear · vault · cabinet · pit · game · object · chip

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chip — to eat
  3. object — a thing
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lean — thin
  7. game — a match
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — in a race
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. object — to protest
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lean — to rest against

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