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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · chip · racket · vault · game · scale · fine · shower

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chip — to eat
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. sharp — clever
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chip — for betting
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. shower — rain
  18. game — a match
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fine — high quality

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