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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: kid · chip · mouse · rush · squash · vault · object · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. game — wild animals
  5. kid — to tease
  6. chip — for betting
  7. kid — child
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. object — to protest
  23. rush — hurry
  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