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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: vault · game · rock · chip · mark · bass · bore · bowl

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bore — to tire
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mark — a trace
  17. game — a match
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chip — in a computer

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