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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: lean · vault · rule · track · pitcher · chip · game · nail

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chip — to eat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. game — wild animals
  8. track — a path
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to bend
  13. vault — a safe
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rule — a law
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. game — a match
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — government

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