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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 116 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: ball · chip · lean · kid · vault · pop · object · stem

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — a thing
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. kid — child
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. object — to protest
  21. kid — to tease
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stem — to come from

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