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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 · drill · jam · ball · stem · chip · season · rule

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ball — a dance
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. drill — a practice
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. vault — a safe
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — in sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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