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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: dip · perch · kid · toast · band · object · chip · vault

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. perch — the fish
  3. band — a ring
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. dip — to sink
  7. object — an aim
  8. chip — to eat
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kid — child
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. object — a thing
  17. kid — to tease
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. toast — bread
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. band — a music group

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