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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: board · pass · court · wound · fan · chip · vault · cap

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. board — a committee
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — a lid
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cap — of ice
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. court — of law
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. vault — a safe
  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