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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: bat · date · band · vault · root · cabinet · chip · mark

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. band — a ring
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a plant
  15. date — the fruit
  16. root — of a word
  17. band — a music group
  18. root — the cause
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chip — to eat
  24. vault — a safe

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