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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: firm · cabinet · dip · pitcher · vault · chip · trunk · chest

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. firm — steady
  5. chest — of your body
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. vault — a safe
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chest — a box
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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