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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: object · mine · chip · track · rush · cap · drill · wound

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. drill — army training
  11. chip — to eat
  12. track — a path
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — a song
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — to protest
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. object — an aim
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. object — a thing
  24. drill — the tool

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