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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chip — to eat
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spell — magic
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pit — a hole
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — a short time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — in music
  20. date — the fruit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spell — letters
  24. drill — army training

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