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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: root · vault · object · chip · rest · game · mine · ground

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rest — a break
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — a match
  12. object — to protest
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. vault — a safe
  16. root — of a word
  17. game — wild animals
  18. object — an aim
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. root — the cause
  24. object — a thing

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