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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: bay · wax · court · club · ground · bank · chip · vault

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ground — the earth
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. court — for sport
  16. ground — a position
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bank — for money
  20. club — for golf
  21. court — of a king
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ground — crushed
  24. club — a group

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