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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: court · leaves · roll · fan · fine · chip · race · drill

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fine — all right
  3. roll — a list
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. court — of a king
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — for betting
  9. court — for sport
  10. roll — a cake
  11. court — of law
  12. drill — the tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. race — a contest
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. drill — army training
  18. chip — to eat
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — to cool the air

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