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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: game · rock · spell · mark · vault · court · shower · chip

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. court — for sport
  3. shower — rain
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — to eat
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spell — letters
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spell — magic
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. shower — to wash
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mark — a trace
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chip — in a computer

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