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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: fan · pop · ground · drill · track · cabinet · chip · deal

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. track — a song
  15. deal — to handle
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pop — music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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