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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: trunk · vault · prune · chip · swing · rule · drill · roll

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chip — to eat
  6. roll — a list
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. drill — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — a safe
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. swing — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — a law

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