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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: squash · vault · pitcher · chip · club · object · stand · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wound — an injury
  4. club — for dancing
  5. squash — to crush
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stand — to bear
  8. object — to protest
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. object — an aim
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. vault — a safe
  17. club — a group
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chip — to eat
  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