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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 120 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: calf · mine · press · chip · pitch · mouse · vault · bat

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. press — to push
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. press — a publisher
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bat — the animal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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