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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. drill — army training
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cell — in biology
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — a weight
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cell — a phone
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cell — in a prison

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