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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: vault · roll · scale · drill · toast · ruler · fall · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. drill — a practice
  9. scale — size or range
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. toast — bread
  12. drill — army training
  13. roll — a list
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fall — the season
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. roll — a cake
  19. scale — in music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. chip — for betting

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