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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: chip · pit · drill · chair · vault · bank

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bank — of a river
  8. drill — a practice
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. drill — army training
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chip — to eat

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