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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: pop · swing · bear · chip · bat · toast · net · vault

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bear — the animal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. net — after costs
  10. pop — soda
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. swing — in golf
  13. toast — bread
  14. pop — music
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pop — to visit
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bear — the animal
  21. swing — music
  22. net — in sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. net — for catching

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