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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stock — shares
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bark — to shout
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rash — a series
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rash — hasty
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pit — in a race
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stock — goods
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. roll — a list
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. roll — on a roll

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