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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cell · hand · fan · drill · scale · pit · mark

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — a hole
  6. scale — in music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. hand — help
  24. drill — army training

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