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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: nail · vault · wake · press · racket · fork · pit · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wake — a trail
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. press — to push
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chip — to eat
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. press — a publisher
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. vault — a safe
  24. nail — for a hammer

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