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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: last · vault · drill · chip · coach · can · stock · bowl

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. drill — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. vault — a safe
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. drill — army training
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chip — to eat
  11. last — to go on
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. last — final
  14. stock — goods
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. can — a tin
  18. drill — a practice
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stock — shares
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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