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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: ball · mouse · vault · bank · wake · clip · charge · chip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — to eat
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bank — for money
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. vault — a safe
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  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