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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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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: fan · vault · roll · race · drill · chip · wake · club

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. race — the arms race
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. chip — for betting
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. race — humankind
  20. club — for golf
  21. race — a contest
  22. vault — a safe
  23. roll — a list
  24. 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