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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: drill · toast · fork · foot · bound · chip · fall · ball

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. toast — bread
  6. fork — in a road
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. bound — certain
  12. drill — army training
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chip — for betting
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. drill — the tool
  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