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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 120 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 · ground · tube · drill · vault · spring · pitcher

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chip — for betting
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — army training
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ground — a position
  20. chip — to eat
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — a container
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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