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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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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: mouse · vault · chip · kick · clip · racket · mark · key

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. clip — for paper
  8. key — the most important part
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. key — in music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. key — for a lock
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chip — to eat
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — a grade
  20. clip — a video
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kick — in football
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mark — to pay attention

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