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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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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: vault · track · hide · march · fall · court · rock · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chip — for betting
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. track — a path
  9. court — for sport
  10. track — a song
  11. fall — to drop
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — the month
  16. rock — music
  17. court — of law
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — a safe
  20. march — music
  21. court — of a king
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fall — the season
  24. hide — to keep secret

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