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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: scale · chip · vault · craft · stick · bark · press · drill

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chip — for betting
  3. press — a publisher
  4. drill — army training
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. press — to push
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. scale — size or range
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. craft — boats
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. craft — a skill
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bark — to shout
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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