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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · season · pop · fork · chip · fall · bass · game

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. season — in sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. game — a match
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fork — in a road
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bass — low music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. game — wild animals
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — for betting
  23. season — of the year
  24. bass — the fish

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