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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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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: cap · deal · track · hide · vault · squash · pitch · chip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — of ice
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitch — completely
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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