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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 · chip · rest · season · coach · pit · sharp · vault

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. firm — decided
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — of the year
  7. vault — a safe
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — a break
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chip — to eat
  12. firm — steady
  13. rest — what's left
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pit — a hole
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. firm — a company
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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