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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: chip · mine · foot · kick · season · current · straw · vault

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. current — happening now
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. current — electric
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. kick — in football
  13. mine — for digging
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. chip — for betting
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. current — of water
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. foot — a measure

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