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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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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: court · vault · bank · roll · pop · chip · wind · safe

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — of law
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pop — to visit
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chip — for betting
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. roll — a list
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — for sport
  17. pop — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chip — to eat
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bank — for money
  24. roll — a cake

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