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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: bat · chair · pit · chip · vault · ball · track · stand

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ball — a great time
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — a hole
  7. track — a path
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chip — to eat
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a dance

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