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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: vault · bass · chip · stem · ball · pop · clip · bound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pop — music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pop — to visit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pop — soda
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. bound — certain
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ball — a round shape

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