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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 · vault · roll · bowl · stem · cell · stick · drill

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. roll — a cake
  9. vault — a safe
  10. drill — the tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stem — to come from
  15. roll — a list
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. drill — army training
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bowl — a dish
  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