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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 120 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: racket · firm · kid · chair · rush · vault · charge · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. firm — a company
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. firm — decided
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chair — a leader
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. firm — steady
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. vault — a safe
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — child
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. charge — in control

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