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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 116 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: chip · wake · fan · ball · drill · race · cap · wound

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chip — for betting
  5. race — humankind
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cap — a lid
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. race — a contest
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a great time

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