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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: march · pit · chip · spell · drill · vault · lie · rock

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — magic
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. march — music
  7. pit — in a race
  8. vault — a safe
  9. spell — letters
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rock — music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rock — a stone
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — a short time
  20. drill — army training
  21. march — the month
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. drill — a practice

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