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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: bass · firm · chip · hand · pitcher · charge · vault · wound

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. firm — decided
  3. chip — for betting
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — a safe
  11. firm — a company
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — electricity
  17. firm — steady
  18. bass — low music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — a price
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. charge — in control

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