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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: chip · swing · vault · stem · can · mate · arm · fork

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. swing — in golf
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. can — to be able to
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. fork — in a road

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