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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 120 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: chest · pitcher · court · racket · chip · object · vault · staff

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — of a king
  4. chest — of your body
  5. object — a thing
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — employees
  8. object — to protest
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chest — of your body
  14. court — of law
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — for sport
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. staff — employees
  22. chest — a box
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — an aim

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