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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: pitcher · drill · spell · vault · firm · chip · bulb · ground

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ground — a position
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — a company
  5. spell — a short time
  6. drill — a practice
  7. firm — steady
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bulb — for light
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — magic
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. firm — decided
  23. ground — the earth
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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