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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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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: trunk · court · object · file · lash · chip · vault · ground

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. court — of law
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. file — a line of people
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. object — to protest
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — an aim
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ground — crushed
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. vault — a safe
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. object — a thing
  20. ground — a position
  21. court — of a king
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ground — the earth

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