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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · chip · press · stem · ground · ball · vault · racket

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — a series
  7. press — a publisher
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. press — to push
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ground — the earth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — for betting
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ground — a position
  23. rash — hasty
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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