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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: vault · swing · mug · field · fine · last · chip · snap

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. swing — to play on
  3. chip — for betting
  4. field — farmland
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. field — a subject
  16. last — finally
  17. chip — to eat
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. snap — to click
  21. fine — high quality
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fine — all right

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