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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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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: chip · firm · fine · mark · cell · pit · vault · court

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — all right
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. court — for sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. firm — a company
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. court — of law
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fine — high quality
  17. vault — a safe
  18. court — of a king
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pit — in a race
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chip — to eat

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